The bar is nearly empty, save for a few lone drinkers. They all sip their liquor with sad eyes starring into the distance. The room is small, located on one of the lower floors of the tower. The air felt dusty. Takeshi Nakajima, the bartender, stood in front of a young boy who sat staring at his own feet. Takeshi watched him, scrubbing at one of his drink glasses with a towel. He set it down loudly on the dark wood of the bar. There was little concern in his gaze.
“Why are you here?”
At first, the boy didn’t acknowledge him, but then he finally looked up, eyes wide.
“A drink?” he replied sheepishly.
Takeshi’s eyes took him in and he raised his eyebrow skeptically. “Really? I highly doubt you’re of age.”
The boy scoffed. “Of age? As if it matters.” He brushed his dark hair out of his face. “We live in a tower and half of our population has been uploaded into the afterlife. Who really cares if a fourteen year old has a few drinks?”
Takeshi resisted his urge to roll his eyes. “I care. So, wise-guy, do you want water or juice?”
Annoyed, the boy scowled and looked away. He glared at one of the other customers for a few seconds. Reluctantly, he replied: “Water is fine.”
“You’re being awfully informal for someone your age.” The boy opened his mouth to reply, but Takeshi cut him off. “Wait, let me guess… We live in a tower so nothing matters.” He smirked. “Was I close?”
No reply. The boy frowned, cheeks turning red. “My name is Rhee Seo-yun.” He bowed his head, albeit awkwardly. “Sorry, sir.”
Takeshi shrugged it off without a second thought. “I’m just messing with you, kid. My name’s Takeshi.” He grabbed another glass and started drying it off.
“I know.”
“Hmm?” He paused his task and glanced down at Seo-yun.
“You’re Takeshi Nakajima. I’ve heard about you from the others. You’re a legend.”
“Yeah, maybe.” He shrugged. Replacing the glass in his hand with another. “Now, I’m a bartender.” He gestured at himself and the bar. “Is that why you’re here? The others sent you?” There was a hint of a suspicion in his voice.
Seo-yun shook his head. “They mentioned you, and I wanted to seek you out. I want to learn from the best.”
Takeshi hesitated. “I have to go refill that woman’s drink over there. When I get back, why don’t you tell me about yourself first, and then I’ll answer your questions?” Seo-yun nodded, and when Takeshi returned, limping as usual, he told him everything.
“My parents left me and my siblings for the AFTER. They knew we needed money, and when they heard about the payments that could be sent from the afterlife to us in Jisang, they jumped at the opportunity.” He paused and took a sip of his water, swallowing loudly. “I was scavenging this morning and one of the guys was talking about The Blue Room. Which of course got me thinking about my parents. So, after that, I ended up on one of the upper floors. I wasn’t really thinking about where I was going, but I was thinking about my family, and then suddenly I was there, and I saw that stupid wall. Of course, my parent’s names were there. It made me furious. And then just as I was about to walk away, some idiot came up to me asking if I wanted one of their pamphlets. I nearly threw it in his face.”
“That’s a sad story,” Takeshi said, though he didn’t sound very sympathetic. “So, you’re part of the scavengers now? Ran away to them like a little brat when your parents abandoned you?”
“Hey—!”
“Look kid, I get it.” Takeshi threw the towel over his shoulder and placed the glass heavily onto the bar. “Your parents left you, so you wanted to feel wanted, like you had a purpose. But you’re young. Way too young to be joining the scavengers.”
“I’m not—” Seo-yun tried to defend himself, but Takeshi wouldn’t let him get a word in.
“It’s not safe. Haven’t you seen my leg?” The older man gestured to the ragged scars across his right leg that were carefully hidden beneath his many tattoos. Seo-yun had heard the stories about the accident. How the elevator cords snapped and nearly tore his leg off, forcing him into an early retirement from scavenging. Takeshi was lucky to be alive.
“Yeah, but—“
“You’re going to hurt yourself.” Takeshi’s voice was no longer angry, instead sounding genuinely concerned. He of all people knew the dangers of being part of the scavengers. Sure, the rewards and the finds were spectacular, but was it worth it?
When he looked at Seo-yun, he saw himself. He saw a hopeful, young man. He saw the elevator. He saw the pain.
Standing abruptly, Seo-yun practically yanked Takeshi out from his thoughts. “I’m going to be fine,” he snapped.
Seo-Yun was about to storm off, but Takashi stopped him.
“Wait.” Eyes closed, he sighed heavily, lost in thought. Eventually he poured drinks for the two of them and took a long swig of his before setting the shot glass carefully down. “Fine. I can see you’re not going to listen to me.”
“You’re damn right.” Seo-yun crossed his arms in front of his chest, chin raised haughtily. He looked like a child.
“Will you just shut up?” Takeshi hissed. He took another swig of his drink, and gestured for Seo-yun to do the same. There was a thrill across the boy’s face as he took his first sip. Then, Takeshi laughed at his reaction to the strong liquor. Seo-yun sputtered half his drink out across the bar.
Smugly, Takeshi covered the liquid with his towel and began mopping it up. “Come back here tomorrow and I’ll bring you my personal particle counter,” he said. “Might as well let someone use it since I can’t.”
Seo-yun’s eyes sparkled. “You have a particle counter?”
“Yeah,” Takeshi replied with a huff. “I swiped it from one of those idiots in Ground Level. It’s saved my life on more than one occasion.”
“And you want me to have it?” The shock on Seo-yun’s face quickly turned to joy.
“Yeah, well, if you’re just going to ignore me and be a scavenger anyway, might as well give you something to protect yourself.”
Seo-yun didn’t reply, but Takeshi could tell his assumption was correct.
“Be here the same time tomorrow and it’s yours,” he said finally. He gestured with his hands for Seo-yun to leave, and the kid did, bowing quickly before running off.
“Why are you here?”
At first, the boy didn’t acknowledge him, but then he finally looked up, eyes wide.
“A drink?” he replied sheepishly.
Takeshi’s eyes took him in and he raised his eyebrow skeptically. “Really? I highly doubt you’re of age.”
The boy scoffed. “Of age? As if it matters.” He brushed his dark hair out of his face. “We live in a tower and half of our population has been uploaded into the afterlife. Who really cares if a fourteen year old has a few drinks?”
Takeshi resisted his urge to roll his eyes. “I care. So, wise-guy, do you want water or juice?”
Annoyed, the boy scowled and looked away. He glared at one of the other customers for a few seconds. Reluctantly, he replied: “Water is fine.”
“You’re being awfully informal for someone your age.” The boy opened his mouth to reply, but Takeshi cut him off. “Wait, let me guess… We live in a tower so nothing matters.” He smirked. “Was I close?”
No reply. The boy frowned, cheeks turning red. “My name is Rhee Seo-yun.” He bowed his head, albeit awkwardly. “Sorry, sir.”
Takeshi shrugged it off without a second thought. “I’m just messing with you, kid. My name’s Takeshi.” He grabbed another glass and started drying it off.
“I know.”
“Hmm?” He paused his task and glanced down at Seo-yun.
“You’re Takeshi Nakajima. I’ve heard about you from the others. You’re a legend.”
“Yeah, maybe.” He shrugged. Replacing the glass in his hand with another. “Now, I’m a bartender.” He gestured at himself and the bar. “Is that why you’re here? The others sent you?” There was a hint of a suspicion in his voice.
Seo-yun shook his head. “They mentioned you, and I wanted to seek you out. I want to learn from the best.”
Takeshi hesitated. “I have to go refill that woman’s drink over there. When I get back, why don’t you tell me about yourself first, and then I’ll answer your questions?”
Seo-yun nodded, and when Takeshi returned, limping as usual, he told him everything.
“My parents left me and my siblings for the AFTER. They knew we needed money, and when they heard about the payments that could be sent from the afterlife to us in Jisang, they jumped at the opportunity.” He paused and took a sip of his water, swallowing loudly. “I was scavenging this morning and one of the guys was talking about The Blue Room. Which of course got me thinking about my parents. So, after that, I ended up on one of the upper floors. I wasn’t really thinking about where I was going, but I was thinking about my family, and then suddenly I was there, and I saw that stupid wall. Of course, my parent’s names were there. It made me furious. And then just as I was about to walk away, some idiot came up to me asking if I wanted one of their pamphlets. I nearly threw it in his face.”
“That’s a sad story,” Takeshi said, though he didn’t sound very sympathetic. “So, you’re part of the scavengers now? Ran away to them like a little brat when your parents abandoned you?”
“Hey—!”
“Look kid, I get it.” Takeshi threw the towel over his shoulder and placed the glass heavily onto the bar. “Your parents left you, so you wanted to feel wanted, like you had a purpose. But you’re young. Way too young to be joining the scavengers.”
“I’m not—” Seo-yun tried to defend himself, but Takeshi wouldn’t let him get a word in.
“It’s not safe. Haven’t you seen my leg?” The older man gestured to the ragged scars across his right leg that were carefully hidden beneath his many tattoos. Seo-yun had heard the stories about the accident. How the elevator cords snapped and nearly tore his leg off, forcing him into an early retirement from scavenging. Takeshi was lucky to be alive.
“Yeah, but—“
“You’re going to hurt yourself.” Takeshi’s voice was no longer angry, instead sounding genuinely concerned. He of all people knew the dangers of being part of the scavengers. Sure, the rewards and the finds were spectacular, but was it worth it?
When he looked at Seo-yun, he saw himself. He saw a hopeful, young man. He saw the elevator. He saw the pain.
Standing abruptly, Seo-yun practically yanked Takeshi out from his thoughts. “I’m going to be fine,” he snapped.
Seo-Yun was about to storm off, but Takashi stopped him.
“Wait.” Eyes closed, he sighed heavily, lost in thought. Eventually he poured drinks for the two of them and took a long swig of his before setting the shot glass carefully down. “Fine. I can see you’re not going to listen to me.”
“You’re damn right.” Seo-yun crossed his arms in front of his chest, chin raised haughtily. He looked like a child.
“Will you just shut up?” Takeshi hissed. He took another swig of his drink, and gestured for Seo-yun to do the same. There was a thrill across the boy’s face as he took his first sip. Then, Takeshi laughed at his reaction to the strong liquor. Seo-yun sputtered half his drink out across the bar.
Smugly, Takeshi covered the liquid with his towel and began mopping it up. “Come back here tomorrow and I’ll bring you my personal particle counter,” he said. “Might as well let someone use it since I can’t.”
Seo-yun’s eyes sparkled. “You have a particle counter?”
“Yeah,” Takeshi replied with a huff. “I swiped it from one of those idiots in Ground Level. It’s saved my life on more than one occasion.”
“And you want me to have it?” The shock on Seo-yun’s face quickly turned to joy.
“Yeah, well, if you’re just going to ignore me and be a scavenger anyway, might as well give you something to protect yourself.”
Seo-yun didn’t reply, but Takeshi could tell his assumption was correct.
“Be here the same time tomorrow and it’s yours,” he said finally. He gestured with his hands for Seo-yun to leave, and the kid did, bowing quickly before running off.